Centerless grinder



H. KOPLIN ETAL CENTERLESS GRIN'DER Filed. Nov. 6, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l mm s i Q lllll M IM. I l l l A T W .m mymflmww {N u 5M 3.5595535. v f i h? rye 5 d {1 ay 8,, 1945. H. KOPLIN ETAL 2,375,306

CENTERLESS GRINDER Filed Nov. 6, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jam?! .1 .jfazora'i fltiorneg/s v Patented May 8, 194

Haunost, Chicago, 111;, assignors to Zephyr Laundry Machinery Company, Chicago, III., a

corporation Application November 6, 1942, Serial No. 464,725

3 Claims. (01. 51-168) Our invention relates to an improvement in centerless grinders.

One purpose is the provision of readily removable bearing means for the spindle of the grinding wheels or rolls.

Another purpose is the provision of improved 2 means for ready removal of both grinding and feed wheels without disturbing the alignment or adjustment of the bearings.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an end elevation, with parts broken away and parts in section;

Figure 2 is a section on an enlarged scale on the line 2--2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a section on an enlarged scale on the line 33 of Figure 1. a Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings. The structure described falls in the category of a centerless grinder in which a grinding wheel or roll, generally indicated as A, is rotatedabo'ut a generally-horizontal axis, generally parallel with the direction of feed of the material. Opposed to but spaced away from the grinding roll or wheel A is a feed roll or wheel B, the axis of which is generally parallel with the axis of the wheelor roll A. The work is delivered by any suitable gauging and delivery assembly, and

passes along a work guide or support structure generally indicated as D. In the operation of the device. the work, as it passes along the work guide or support D, is confined between the'grind ing wheel or roll A and the feed wheel or roll B, and is free to rotate as his ground, being mounted on no spindle or arbor. A slight inclination of the axis of the feed roll causes, the work to move forwardly between the rolls or wheels.

The grinding structure Referring in greater detail to the structure, there is provided a base structure, which may form or include a coolant tank. This base structure may include side frame orwall elements I, shown as I-beams, and end walls or framestructures 2, and a closed bottom 3. The base or tank is made of sufficient strength to serve as a suP- port for the above mentioned grind and feed wheels and their supports and adjusting means.

Mounted on the I-beams l is a transversely extending base element 4, secured for example y bolts or screws 5. The top of the member 4 may be concaved at its center, as at 6, the concave portion communicating with a generally central drain aperture 1, through which coolant may drain into the interior of the base, indicated at 8.

Referring to the position of the parts in Fig. l, at the left end of the base element 4 are located two upwardly extending pedestals or supports 9, shown in larger scale in Fig. 2. Removably secured at the top of each said supports is a bearing enclosing block 10, normally held in position for example by screws II. The top of each support 9 and the under side of each block. I0 are formed with surfaces I2, l3 which conform to the exterior of bearing sleeves M, [5. It will be understood that when the screws II are released and the blocks or tops H! are removed, then the below described grinding wheel structure, including the sleeves l4, I5, can be removed as a unit without disturbing the alignment of thebelow described bearings, and another unit may be inserted, thus permitting one complete grinding unit to be removed for adjustment or repair with an immediate replacement, and thus a minimum loss of time in the operation of the machine.

I6 generally indicates a shaft on which is welded or mounted a wheel or disc I'l, provided with flanges l8, IQ, of which one flange, indicated as 19 in Fig. 2, is shown as removable and held removably in position for example by screws 20. Confined between the flanges l8 and I9 and the periphery of the wheel I1 is the grinding ring or wheel proper, of any suitable abrasive material, indicated at 2|. 22 is any suitable surrounding housing guard open at one side to permit contact with the work.

Each of the bearing sleeves l4, l5 receives one end of thexshaft l6, any suitable bearing means, for example roller bearings, being indicated as at 23, the details of the bearing rolls and their races being not of themselves new. The outer races 24, however, are shown as spaced apart by sleeves 25, which are positioned in relation to the bear ing sleeves M by oiling fittings 26, which are shown as screw threaded into the sleeves It, IS, with ends extending into appropriate apertures in therings 25. The oiling fittings extend also through apertures in the members II], the aperture 21 at one side of Fig. 2 providing a snug lit, the aperture 28 at the other side providing a loose fit to permitvariation of adjustment or in size of parts.

The inner ends of the sleeves 4, 5 are C sed by any suitable closure plates or rings 29, which may be provided with any suitablelabyrinth or other oil sealing means 30. The outer end of the sleeve I4 is closed, and a closure plate 3| provided, with a groove or channel 32 to receive a rope or lifting device. A similar plate 33 is provided for the outer end of the sleeve I5, apertured as at 34 to permit the extension of the end of theshaft I6, upon which is mounted any suitable drive pulley 35 herein shown asv a.- multigrooved pulley adapted to receive a plurality of V belts 36.

It will be understood that no adjustment is provided for or necessary for the grinding. unit. Its

axis is fixed in relation to the base, and as the wheel wears down, the wear is compensated f r by the below described adjusting means for the feed roller or wheel. p

Any suitable motor 31 may be employed, which drives, by means of a pulley 3Tc,.the pulley 35 The feed wheel structure The feed wheel structure is mounted for bodily movement on a movable support 45,. shown in some. detail in Fig. l. The'mem-ber is slidable on the fixed support 46. At each side of the member 46 guiding flanges M are shown, which may, if desired, be unitary with the member 43 and which are spaced somewhat above the top of that part of the member 4 upon which the grinding assembly. is mounted. This will be clear for example in Fig. 1. If desired, the portion 46 and the guiding flanges 4'! may be madeunitary with the base 4.

Mounted on or integral with the member 45 is the upwardlyiextending frame ember'or support Bil. The member is apertured generally centrally, as at 62. to receive a trunnion 63, fixed to the plate 64, which is formed with forwardly extending bearing supports 65. The trunnion 63 and the plate 64 may be moved as a unit in relation'to the upstanding plate GI] on the slide 45.

Considering the feed roll proper andis bearing means, any suitable driving element, not shown.

passes about a pulley or sprocket I IE on theouter end of the guide roll or guide wheel shaft I I7. At each end of the shaft I I! are bearing units,'much like'those shown in Fig. 2 in connection with the grinder wheel, which units include sleeves I I8 and II9,which are supported in blocks or forwardly extending supports 65 of thelplate 64. .Each such support 65 has an outer removable member 650. The feed roll or wheel l20 extends about a hub I2I, which may be integral with or fixed to the shaft Ill, and which is shown in Fig. 3 as provided with a fixed positioning flange I22 and a screw threaded positioning ring I23, screw threaded on the enlargement I2 I. The feed wheel may be of an abrasive, or of rubber, or ofany through the above mentioned belts 36. The moother suitable material, the surface of which is effective to act on the work.

The sleeves H8, H9 are smaller in'exteriordiameter than the interior diameter of the wheel I20, and are also smaller than the inter'ior diameter of the nut I23 and the sealing ring I24. Supporting channels I25 are-provided at the end plates I26, I21, so that the entire unit can be bodily removed, just like the grinding unit shown in Fig. 2. When the unit has been removed, a removal of the sealing ring I24 and the nut or fixing flange I23 permits the ring I20 to be slid endwise from the shaft. It will be observed, as in the case of the grinding unit, that no disturbance of the alignment of the bearings is necessary, and the unit may bequickly removed from the machine, and a substitute unit put in position without any substantial loss of operating time.

Any suitable means may be employed for truing the surface's of the grind wheel and the feed wheel. In Fig. 1 is diagrammatically illustrated a dresser assembly 220 for the feed wheel, the departs without departing from the spirit of the invention. It -is therefore wished that the drawings and description be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as a limitation to the precise showing.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

We provide opposed feed and grind rolls, the axes of which are shown as horizontal and generally parallel and in substantially the same horizontal plane. The axis of the work on the support D is slightly higher than the axes of the rolls. The axis of rotation of the grind roll is preferably horizontal and normally fixed and parallel with the path of movement of the material into the grinding zone. a

It i highly important. that grinders of the. type herein. shown,- when used on. critical work, such as war work, be serviced with a minimum loss of time. This is particularly the case where a number of these units are employed in series, the work passing from unit to unit. We, therefore, haveprovided means for ready removal of the grind wheel and its associated bearings as a unit. and the feed'wheel and its associated bearings as'a unit. All that is necessary is to remove the top members In of the. grind wheel assembly shown in Fig. 2 and lift the grind wheel and its bearing sleeves bodily oi? the machine and replace it with another complete unit. Similarly, as shown in Fig. 3, the feed wheel assembly may be removed as a unit, including the feed wheel shaft and bearings. The result is a minimum loss of time of the unit and of the other units associated therewith.

The grind wheel 2I may be removed from its shaft by removing. the flange I9, without in any way disturbing the bearings for the shaft. Similarly, in the feed wheel unit shown in Fig. 3,-

when the sealing ring I24 and the nut I23 are moved; the feed ring I20 may he slipped off the shaft without disturbing the bearing adjustment.

We claim: 1..;In a rotary grinder and bearing assembly therefor, a rotating shaft, a plurality of supports for said haft spaced apart along said shaft, a plurality of-bearing assemblies for said shaft, each said bearing assembly including an outer shell into which said shaft penetrates, and bearing means interposed between the. penetrating. portion of said shaft and the inner. surface of said outer shell, and means for removably securing each said assembly to one of said supports, said shaft and the associated bearing assemblies being unitarily removable from said supports without affecting the adjustment or alignment of said bearing assemblies in relation to said shaft, a hub on said shaft intermediate said bearing assemblies, a grinding ring on said hub, and means for removably securing it to said hub.

2. In a rotary grinder andbearing assembly therefor, a rotating shaft, a plurality of supports for said shaft spaced apart along said shaft, a plurality of bearing assemblies for said shaft, each said bearing assembly including an outer shell into which said shaft penetrates, and bearing means interposed between the penetrating portion of said shaft and the inner surface of said outer shell, and means for removably securing each said assembly to one of said supports, said shaft and the associated bearing assemblies being unitarily removable from said supports without affecting the adjustment or alignment of said bearing assemblies in relation to said shaft, a hub on said shaft intermediate said bearing assemblies, a grinding ring on said hub, and means for.

removably securing it to said hub, the interior diameter of the grinding'ring exceeding the diameter of said bearing assemblies, whereby the ring may be removed from the hub while the being unitarily removable from said supports without affecting the adjustment or alignment of said bearing assemblies in relation to said shaft, a hub on said shaft intermediate said bearing assemblies, a grinding ring on said hub, and means for removably securing it to said hub, in-

cluding opposed flange elements on said hub, at

least one of said flange elements constituting a flange ring axially removable from said hub, the

interior diameter of said ring exceeding the exterior diameter of the adjacent bearing assembly.

HARRY KOPLIN. ARTHUR R. SLATE. DANIEL A. HAUNOST. 

